ZestyAI, a provider of AI-based insurance risk analytics, has received regulatory approval from the Ohio Department of Insurance for its Severe Convective Storm suite, which includes Z-HAIL™, Z-WIND™, and Z-STORM™. With Ohio added, the suite is now approved in 16 states.
Severe convective storms, including hail, wind, and tornadoes, have caused over 57% of Ohio’s weather-related damages since 1980.
In the past five years, Ohio recorded 36 storm events with losses exceeding $1bn each, compared to 33 such events over the previous 20 years, based on data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
ZestyAI’s platform estimates storm-related claim risk and severity at the individual property level by examining how local weather conditions interact with property-specific characteristics.
Most traditional models assess risk based on broad territories or ZIP codes, often missing key property-level data.
Each model uses actual claims data for development and validation, offering clear explanations for each risk score. This helps insurers improve accuracy in underwriting and pricing.
Kumar Dhuvur, Founder and Chief Product Officer at ZestyAI, stated that storm risk is often priced using generalized data rather than accurate property-level information.
He said Ohio’s approval reflects a shift in the industry toward more precise risk assessment and supports improved decision-making in a major insurance market.
Too often, storm risk is priced using rough proxies instead of accurate property insights
Kumar Dhuvur, Founder and Chief Product Officer at ZestyAI
“Regulatory approval in Ohio affirms the industry’s shift toward precision underwriting and rating—and opens the door to smarter, risk-aligned decisions and fewer preventable losses in one of the nation’s most important insurance markets,” said Kumar Dhuvur.
